The Albanian Ministry of Defence has declared Air Tractor SRL the winner of a €15 million tender for three firefighting aircraft, despite the company having been convicted of corruption in the European Union. Former Democratic Party MP Ervin Salianji has denounced the decision, alleging a rival bid offering the same aircraft for €2.7 million less was disqualified, and has called on SPAK to investigate.
Government awards firefighting aircraft tender to Air Tractor SRL
The Albanian government will purchase three firefighting aircraft from a company that has been convicted of corruption in the European Union, according to an investigative report by Kapitali.al published on 4 August 2026. The winning company, which will deliver the three aircraft and provide maintenance services for them for three years, is called Air Tractor SRL, the report states. The tender, valued at approximately €15 million, was announced by the Ministry of Defence amid repeated wildfire emergencies that have scorched thousands of hectares of forest and agricultural land across Albania in recent summers.
According to reporting by Politiko.al, the decision to award the contract to Air Tractor SRL has raised fresh questions about procurement practices within the Ministry of Defence under Minister Pirro Vengu. The outlet notes that the company’s record includes a conviction for corruption within EU jurisdictions, a detail that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition figures and procurement watchdogs
Opposition alleges higher-priced bid was selected
Former Democratic Party MP Ervin Salianji has accused Edi Rama’s government of abusing public funds, raising questions about how the Ministry of Defence conducted the tender for purchasing firefighting planes, as reported by Balkanweb on 1 August 2026. According to Salianji, questions about the selection procedure arise from a document by EFA Ventures, one of the largest groups in the defence industry, which he says submitted an offer for three Thrush 710P firefighting planes that fully met the requirements and were within the Ministry of Defence’s budget.
However, after initially being declared the winner, the offer was disqualified and the contract was awarded to Air Tractor SRL, with a value €2.7 million higher, Salianji alleged, as cited by Albeu.com. “The Ministry of Defence announces the winner of the company with the highest bid of €2.7 million for the purchase of firefighting aircraft,” Salianji said, according to Balkanweb. He also asked where the planes are now and whether they are ready to be used to assist during critical situations, reiterating that the Ministry of Defence declared a company with an offer €2.7 million higher the winner, while the planes are still absent.
As reported by Pamfleti.net, Salianji denounced the scandal, stating that the offer was disqualified after being declared the winner and given to the company Air Tractor SRL with a bid of €2.7 million more. He urged the Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tender decision.
Questions over procurement and cost difference
The core of the controversy, as outlined across multiple Albanian outlets, centres on the price differential and the disqualification of a lower bid. According to Balkanweb, the offer from EFA Ventures was disqualified after being declared the winner and awarded to the company Air Tractor SRL with a bid €2.7 million euros more. Salianji’s documentation, cited by Pamfleti.net and Albeu.com, suggests that the Thrush 710P aircraft offered by EFA Ventures met the technical requirements set out in the tender, yet the contract ultimately went to a more expensive proposal.
Kapitali.al’s investigation highlights that the total value of the tender is around €15 million, covering not only the purchase of three aircraft but also three years of maintenance services. The outlet underscores that the winning firm, Air Tractor SRL, carries a corruption conviction in the EU, a fact that has intensified scrutiny over the Ministry of Defence’s vetting process.
Defence Minister’s earlier statements on aircraft purchases
The tender comes after months of public statements by Defence Minister Pirro Vengu regarding plans to bolster Albania’s aerial firefighting capacity. As reported by RTSH, Minister of Defence Pirro Vengu announced that Albania has purchased two aircraft to manage fire emergencies, though the report did not specify the tender process or the identity of the supplier. In an interview with Euronews Albania on 29 July 2025, Vengu stated that Albania had completed the procedures for the purchase of two firefighting aircraft, with funds allocated and the budget secured, according to Telegrafi.
However, fact-checking by Faktoje, cited by VNA, later categorized Minister Pirro Vengu’s statement as untrue after the Ministry of Defense clarified that the purchase was still in process and that the aircraft were multi-role, not dedicated firefighting planes. In August 2025, Vengu told media in Delvina that “the aircraft are being purchased, they must be produced to come to Albania, it is a process that takes time, everything is transparent, we have not made any disbursements because we have not concluded a contract,” as reported by Vox News.
Broader context of defence procurement controversies
The firefighting aircraft tender unfolds against a backdrop of wider controversies surrounding defence procurement in Albania. As reported by Kapitali.al, Belgian authorities have launched an investigation into suspected contracts won by the Israeli company Elbit Systems, which has signed several agreements with the Albanian company KAYO, run by Ardi Veliu, for the production of weapons. Investigators believe that over several years, Eliau Eluasvili helped Elbit Systems secure rigged contracts from the NATO Procurement Agency (NSPA), leading to the suspension of 15 contracts over the summer, 13 of which belonged to Elbit Systems and its subsidiary Orion Advanced Systems.
Defense Minister Pirro Vengu signed a broad military agreement with Israel in July 2025, approved by the Council of Ministers, Balkanweb reported, linking the current tender to a pattern of high-value defence deals under his tenure. Meanwhile, SPAK has pursued multiple corruption cases linked to public tenders, including the arrest in France of Ermal Beqiri, wanted in connection with the AKSH tender scandal, as confirmed by Balkanweb in July 2026.
Calls for SPAK investigation and transparency
In light of the allegations, Ervin Salianji has called on SPAK to investigate the tender process, arguing that the selection of a higher-priced bid from a company with a corruption record warrants scrutiny, according to Balkanweb and Albeu.com. Pamfleti.net reported that Salianji published documentation supporting his claim that a compliant, lower-cost offer was rejected in favour of Air Tractor SRL’s more expensive proposal.
Critics have also questioned the timing of the award, given that Albania has relied on assistance from EU Civil Protection Mechanism aircraft, including a Croatian Canadair CL-415, to combat wildfires in recent weeks. The government has previously announced plans to purchase two firefighting aircraft to extinguish the fires that have burned thousands of hectares of forests and land, as noted by Alfapress in December 2025. Yet, as of early August 2026, opposition figures contend that the aircraft remain undelivered despite the contract being awarded
Government response and next steps
As of the time of reporting, the Ministry of Defence has not issued a detailed public response to the allegations raised by Salianji regarding the disqualification of the lower bid. Kapitali.al and Politiko.al both note that the tender documentation identifies Air Tractor SRL as the winner, with obligations to deliver three aircraft and provide three years of maintenance, but do not include a ministerial statement addressing the corruption conviction or the price differential
SPAK has not publicly confirmed whether it has opened an investigation into the firefighting aircraft tender. However, given the office’s recent activity in probing high-value procurement scandals, including the AKSH case and alleged irregularities in defence contracts, observers expect the allegations to prompt further scrutiny. For now, the award stands, even as questions mount over cost, vendor eligibility, and the timeline for delivering the aircraft to Albania’s fire response fleet.
